Monthly Archives: September 2011

How to create a Professional CV with the help of AZZIST

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Azzist.com, the career and professional networking portal developed by Prescience Soft Pvt Ltd, not only helps you enhance your job prospects but also assists you to achieve your goals.  The following section will guide you to write a Professional CV:

Curriculum Vitae

A Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a summary of your educational qualification, experience, skills and it should highlight your potential to the employers.  The key difference between a CV and a Resume is the length.  A resume is a one or two page summary of your education, experience and skills whereas a Curriculum Vitae is a longer (at least two page) and more detailed synopsis.

Preparing an effective CV poses a challenge due to the length which results in cumbersome reading and important data being lost in a long document. Hence, prioritising, planning and structuring are essential so that the skills and experience are highlighted and noticed in a 5 second glance. The following sections will guide you to generate a Professional CV: 

Essential Sections of a CV:

  • Professional Objective or Objective Statement—keep this precise.
  • Experience Summary
  • Educational background: include Post Graduate, Graduate and Undergraduate Degrees till Class X details, Professional Certifications, papers (white papers) presented, Educational or Professional Honours or Awards, Scientific or Academic Research, Laboratory Experience and Related Skills, Description of Thesis or Dissertation, Publications.
  • Employment History: Specify the places worked earlier till date along with tools and platforms. Also include the roles and responsibilities discharged.
  • Major Accomplishments
  • Other Information: Mention any non-corporate endeavours applicable such as – Future Academic or Professional Goals, Travel / Exposure to Cultural Experiences, Foreign Language Skills and so on.
  • Personal Information: Contact Information, Hobbies, Extra Curricular activities.

CV Styles:

There are several different styles of CVs which can be used to apply for job openings depending on the requirement:

  • Chronological CV: A chronological CV starts by listing the work history with the most recent position listed first and other jobs listed in the reverse chronological order.
  • Functional CV: A functional CV focuses on the skills and abilities rather than the chronological work history. It is typically used by job seekers who change careers or who have gaps in their employment history.
  • Combination CV: A combination CV lists the skills and experience first and the employment history next. With this type of CV, the relevant skills can be highlighted to the relevant job applied for.

Azzist.com can help you

All the styles and techniques of writing a CV mentioned above might appear complicated to create and that’s when you can take the assistance of Azzist. Azzist.com has an extremely user-friendly and simple CV builder tool which creates a professional CV within minutes. This CV Builder tool is flexible and easily customisable. With the CV Builder tool you can:

  • Print, share and download your CV.
  • Upload old CV and change to new format – acts like a format converter.
  • Integrate your media CV (Video) and portfolio (collection of your work).
  • Reveal and hide only certain sections of your CV to various employers based on the job requirements.

Go ahead and log on to Azzist.com and makeover your career instantly!

www.azzist.com

How to Spot a Bad Freelance Job

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Every freelancer, unless you were always popular to begin with, has been through a situation where they were forced to work for peanuts, or work for a job that doesn’t offer absolutely any guarantee regarding payment whatsoever.

So diving straight to the point, here’s a small compilation of various signs that show that you are working for the wrong freelance jobs.

They ask you to pay ‘fee’ to join: This is the biggest red alert that shows that you definitely must not take that job. Firstly, you have absolutely no idea about the organization. Yes they have mentioned all about what they do, their location and a few testimonials to back up their authenticity. However, you still don’t know how much of it is true.

Secondly, nobody asks to pay them to give you a job. Agreeing to something like that is disrespecting your own skills and ability.

The pay is extremely less: Working for commission that’s as less as $1 per task? Then you better quit the job right now and use up the same time to work on your skills and resume and land yourself in a real job that pays you what you deserve. Again, working for a job like that is degrading your abilities and skills, which I’m sure you wouldn’t want to. Finding a real job may take time. However, by networking with the right people and fixing all the flaws that are hindering your chances of getting a job will definitely help you in a long run.

Pay per clicks: Freelance writers would have come across jobs like this. So, yet again, if you aren’t an ace blogger or a blogging celebrity whose blog is sure to earn at least around a thousand clicks in a week, this job is not for you, no matter how tempting the pay might seem in the beginning. You might think that writing a compelling blog might help you reach the scale of thousands, but reaching that level of visibility is going to take months, which you can use in a more productive way by preparing for job interviews.

You might also be offered to pay based on the ratings your article gets or an offer to share Adsense revenue. No matter how feasible the idea might seem in the beginning, it’s not going to work.

That’s about some of the signs that show you have landed yourself in a very bad freelance job or will be in future.

Getting a real job might be hard, but with a little hard work on your side, some help from your connections and professional recruitment experts, you would definitely find a good job that pays you regularly.

Also, there are a lot of great and genuine freelance jobs out there that pay you the money you deserve for your work. Unless you work for one of those kinds of freelance jobs, you might want to reconsider what you are doing.

Different Kinds of Bosses and How to Deal With Them

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It is said that one of the keys to a successful and a peaceful career without unwanted jerks is to learn the art of dealing with your boss and make sure you remain on their good side forever. But good things don’t come as easily since different kinds of bosses need to be dealt with differently, which is why, we’re here to guide you with it.

Now, let’s take a look at the different kinds of bosses you might come across and how to deal with them.

The Innovator

In case you are one of those whose creative side of the brain works a lot more efficiently than your technical side, you are going to love working for this boss. This kind of boss’s favorite hobby is to walk the path that’s never been walked before, which, most of the times, leaves you stunned at the sheer ridiculousness of the idea that usually, quite surprisingly, works. But in case you have a lot of ideas that are waiting to be heard and put into action, you have met your ideal boss.

How to handle: This boss is going to give you a lot of chances to show your potential. So, until the boss is around, make use of all the opportunities that the boss lays down for you and you will be a step closer to your dream job, if you aren’t in one already!

The major setback in this case is that you might have to forget that you have a world outside office and drown yourself in work. Since you might end up ticking the word ‘fun’ off your dictionary, keep your priorities straight and don’t forget your personal life.

The Monster

The psycho of the company who will make sure to squeeze as much work out of you as possible until you look like a nearly dead man and not forget to point out all of your nitty-gritty mistakes and curse you for the rest of your life for it. This type of boss’s favorite hobby is to remind you that you are and will always be the most inefficient employee he’s ever come across and drain all the self-confidence and self-worth out of you. One of the most common characteristics of this kind of boss is their selective memory, unpredictable behavior, impatience and hypocrisy.

How to handle:

Usually, under this kind of boss, you can’t possibly think of any kind of growth in your career, since they don’t have the habit of crediting you for your achievement in any way. For all you know, you will be shown the exit door before you could start planning your way up the success ladder. Make a note of everything the boss does not like and always stay away from those mistakes. Finish your work within the deadlines and re-check your work as many times as possible to make sure you have not made a mistake. If possible, get it rechecked by a colleague before submitting the work to the boss. Try as much as possible to go to office on time. Lastly, forget about that long vacation you were planning with the family. You are never going to get it.

The Two-Faced

This kind of boss is hypocrisy personified. With talent in twisting words according to their convenience and selective memory as their weapon, they can use you as their puppet and play you the way they wish. They never stick to their words and shower you with promises that make you work day and night, only to have the promise conveniently erased from their memory by the end of the day.

How to handle:

Do not believe in any of the promises The Two-Faced makes and concentrate on the work that is given to you. If you are lured into a work with promises like a hike in salary or a promotion etc., get them in written so in the end, you will have a proof.

The forgiving

A softy who never minds giving you a second chance and might even volunteer to teach you things you don’t know. This kind of boss is ideal for slow workers and slackers, but if you happen to be an ambitious one, you might have to take initiative to pull up the gears and move forward since you are not going to be pushed by the soft-hearted boss who loves to keep the environment at office as smooth and easy-going as possible.

How to handle:

Do not take the lenience for granted and keep your work at a mediocre level. Under this kind of boss, you have to set your own standards and work on it and make sure your records are good and your achievements, exceptional. This kind of boss is easy to impress, which, most likely, will get you a promotion soon.

The Mysterious

Has it been months since you last saw your boss? Or has it been so long you don’t remember how your boss looks like anymore? Then your boss comes under the MIA type, whose life is too mysterious to even fathom. You have no idea where your boss goes or when he/she comes and his/her mind is an absolute mystery.

How to handle

Don’t wait until your boss gives you the green signal to move. Manage tasks on your own, co-operate and plan out with your fellow team mates and get the work done. With bosses like this, you might have to grade your own work and see if you are getting better or are on the verge of being graced by the pink slip. Also, with this kind of boss, there is very less chance for your achievements to be either noticed or rewarded.

The Motivator

You might as well consider this boss as your hero. An ideal boss, who does everything in his/her hand to get the project done in the most perfect way possible. This kind of boss motivates you to work harder and better without having you complain or make the work feel like a chore. The downfall is that these kinds of bosses usually come with an ambitious personality of their own and quickly move up the ladder leaving you with a new boss to deal with.

How to handle

You will never have a problem with this kind of boss as it seems that no matter how much of a fix the team is in, they can always come out unscathed and victorious. There will be a lot of opportunity to learn and grow under this boss, so don’t let the chance slip off your hands. Remember to do your work well and you will be well rewarded.

The Clueless

The most striking characteristic about this type is that you usually find him/her not really complaining about anything whether it’s right or wrong and has the worst sense of judgment. They are either over-promoted or new to that kind of job that leaves them utterly clueless about what they are supposed to do. Under this kind of boss, unless you have a clear idea of what you need to do, you are going to be in a lot of trouble in a long run.

How to handle: Try to help your boss in making the right decision or anything that the boss finds difficult to understand, if you want the boss to stick around. It might seem like a chore in the beginning but you need to do everything to finish your project without a flaw since this reflects on your record and affects your career.  Also, this kind of a boss is a lot easier to handle and get along with compared to a short tempered boss or a nitpicker.

The Dictator

A Dictator is a less harmful version of The Monster, who thinks that the world would fall apart without rules. This is the kind with who you have to stick the rules to your heart and never ever cross the boundary that he/she’s laid down for you to follow.

How to handle: You are fine as long as you are a fellow worshipper of rules, but if you try playing out of the box for a change, he/she is going to mash you like a potato. Make a note of all the rules that The Dictator expects you to follow and never ever step out of it. Just to be sure, check if you are staying within the lines before you make any kind of decision or changes in your work or project. Don’t ever think of suggesting a new idea since your boss is going to crush it like a wad of paper and the next thing you see is your brilliant new idea flying out of the window.

What Makes an Ideal CV

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Now there’s definitely no Ideal CV since different career level demands different approach towards how you put your achievements and other career details across without making it look like you have either over done it or missing something. But there are always some details that need to be taken care of, no matter what position you are applying for.

So in this blog, we’ll try and cover some of the pointers that will help tweak your CV to perfection.

Prepare a cover letter: A cover letter is a good way of making a good first impression and put yourself in good light before the employer begins reading your CV. The things you could cover in a cover letter (no pun intended) are:

  1. A very short and brief introduction about yourself
  2. Reason you wish to join the company
  3. What new you bring to the company. (In other words, why the company should hire you)

List your achievements in chronological order: It’s easier for employers to learn about your recent achievement and then opt to read your older achievements if they are interested. So, by putting relevant information first, you are saving the employer’s time and making his/her job easier. This, in turn adds a positive impact on your CV and whatever you have mentioned in your CV does not go unnoticed.

The same goes to your employment history. Always mention your employment history in chronological order for the same reason you need to list your achievements from the most recent to the oldest.

Do not write objectives if you are applying for executive posts: At the executive level, recruiters usually look for achievement based CV and not objective based CV. Since this is where candidates generally talk about what they want to do, which may not be the same thing that the employer wants it automatically makes that section irrelevant and your resume amateur. So, unless you are a fresher or someone applying for entry level jobs, stay away from this section.

Important things first: Make sure you clearly mention what your current designation is, what company you are working for and what skills you are bringing along with you. Again, skills may not be relevant for higher executive levels like CEO, President etc. but if you are applying for mid or entry level positions, this section is very important and need to be mentioned explicitly, especially if the job requires certain specific skills that the job can’t be done without.

Once you are done with these important sections, mention your employment history followed by achievements and then your educational and personal details to the bottom of your CV.

Personal details do not include your hobbies, marital status, ethnicity and other less important information that do not matter in the job you are applying for.

Read and reread your CV until it’s perfect: If you doubt your linguistic capability, ask someone else for help – be it a friend, a colleague or a family. Correct your CV with spelling and grammar checker. If possible, hire a professional editor and have them go through your CV. It might cost you money but that will eventually help you get a job.

Mention your name and contact number first: No, this does not fall under the category of personal details. These are the basic details that the recruiter needs and writing it first makes it easy for him/her to find it. Never miss out on your name. Your name is the most important information in your CV, which otherwise will be considered fake.

Highlight your extracurricular activities: Apart from your achievements and awards, your extracurricular activities show that you’re not all work and no fun. Of course they don’t expect you to be fun, at least in your CV, but your extracurricular activities speak a lot about you – Your creativity, team spirit, leadership qualities, ability to take initiative and your passion for what you love. These are one of the most important aspects recruiters look into, most of which shows in your activities other than academics.

Watch what you write: There are a lot of things you need to be careful about when you are talking about yourself in your CV. The most important thing that needs to be remembered is that you should never address yourself in first person. Addressing yourself in third person puts the recruiters off just as much too. Keep your sentences neutral, like ‘Worked for 15 years in the management department…’

Also, avoid cliché sentences like how much of a hard worker you are. If you really are all you talk about, it will definitely show in your CV. If it doesn’t yet, mention everything you have done so far that acts as a proof of how much of a dedicated worker you are.

Do not include your photo: Unless it’s a job where looks matter or the recruiter has explicitly asked for it, do not include your photo in your CV. That is not what the recruiter is looking for. You can though, if it’s something that is heavily practiced in the place you live and you know the recruiters expect it, even with asking for it.

These are some of the main pointers that every job applicant must take care of. As long as you keep these in mind, your CV would be safe from being blown at first sight.

For more help and query regarding building a good CV, you can always reach us through our social sites and we will be pleased to help you as much as possible.